Radio can reduce loneliness, isolation in older people
The radio can be harnessed as a tool to reduce loneliness, isolation and depression among older people, a study suggests.
The radio can be harnessed as a tool to reduce loneliness, isolation and depression among older people, a study suggests.
Dr Amanda Krause, a Melbourne University music psychologist, is conducting a study of the radio listening habits of older Australians.
While there has been extensive research into the listening habits of young adults, much less is known about older people.
For the first phase of an ongoing research project Krause surveyed 25 people aged 66-87 living in regional and metropolitan Melbourne.
She found that the radio often accompanied them in their daily lives as a social presence and a source of entertainment and information.
“This is a long-standing, easy-to-use, cost-effective tool … we can get social presence, we can get information, we can get entertainment all from the radio,” she said during a presentation of phase one findings at the AAG National Conference in Melbourne on Wednesday.
“This is a really important thing to consider in terms of how we can look at radio to help with wellbeing.”
Social connection
Radio also offered a way of making older people feeling socially connected and putting them in a positive mood.
Australia had a strong radio presence with more than 450 community stations as well as national and commercial stations, Krause said.
Many older people formed surprisingly close bonds with radio presenters.
“What I really did not expect was the depth of the bond that people would talk about having with these presenters,” she said.
“The importance of the announcer was very clear. This is a voice, this is a person that you develop a very strong relationship with.
“So even if you’re at home by yourself, you’re able to participate in a conversation, and I really want to think about how to build better programing in order to benefit older people and support companionship.
“It’s a new way of thinking about it, it’s not just something that’s passively on in the background.”
Building radio into routines
Krause says the radio was also often built into routines, such as sleeping.
“Sleeping is a very common time where might would be routines, either ‘it helps me fall asleep’, or ‘it’s my alarm, it helps me wake up’,” she said.
“There’s a lot to be done about how this can be built into routines.”
Krause says the study shows the potential of radio for reducing loneliness and isolation, and raises the question of how to optimise programing to achieve this and ensure the healthy use of listening.
She’ll be using the results of her study to talk with people involved in radio programing, volunteers and radio hosts to see how the benefits of radio can be improved.
“If we can shift moods we need to do this in a very calculated and cautious way,” she told Community Care Review.
“What I’m hoping to do is take these findings and talk to radio hosts and programers so they can implement programing that considers these things.
“I really am encouraged by the idea of how people can use the radio as a form of companionship.”
Guidelines on radio as a wellbeing tool
Krause says she’d like to see the development of guidelines about how to use the radio as a tool for older people and those who care for them.
“I’m really excited to take those findings and marry it with whether I can get radio programmers to consider the wellbeing of their listeners, or if I can get them to consider it to help that process.
“I think we can work as a team to translate this into the community.”
Radio stations wanting to get involved can find the project website here.
The conference continues on Thursday.
For older people in their later stages of life, radio has always been an integral part of their weekly routine. I sometimes don’t understand why younger people think they come up with novel ways to reduce social isolation. Before television, that’s all many families had, especially in rural areas, or low income families. Many older people still do not watch television, especially those with low vision who cannot see television but can still hear quite well. I think the ignorance is more about the lack of knowledge and understanding of researchers. I am sure if she approached the ABC historical department she would learn about just how much radio has always been a part of older Australian’s lives. Things like weekly serials and big radio stars, bigger than anything today. There was never a time growing up as a kid the radio was not on somewhere, especially in Dad’s shed whilst he was working on various things and gardening. Woe betide us if we interrupted him during one of his talk back programs. He would also go on drives for some alone time and sit in the car, listen to the radio and read the newspaper. I think more research needs to be done by this researcher on the very important part that radio has always played in Australian history, well before the advent of television and modern technology.
Beautifully expressed Ted…I volunteer as a presenter on GDR 95.7 FM GOLDEN DAYS RADIO every Friday between 5pm and 8pm, one of over 30 presenters who present programs of music, serials and community information from studios in the suburb of Glen Huntly in Melbourne, Australia. Listeners are encouraged to call the station on 95721466 or email mail@goldendaysradio.com
The role of radio in the lives of our listeners is enriching in so many ways, judging from the calls that come in the station receptionist. All calls are acknowledged on air with the permission of the listener. In this way the listener becomes part of the program.
I value what you have written Ted and congratulations Dr. Amanda on your valuable research.
Cheers, Peter Lawlor.
Good study! The value of radio can often be forgotten or overshadowed by new technology, but it is still a strong and powerful medium.
There is another role for radio. I am one of several oldies that I know who have difficulty sleeping – the radio offers us something to while away the long dark hours of the night – often with very beautiful music from the ABC or the lovely programs offered by the great volunteers at Golden Days Radio